Latvia rescues 220 people stranded on ice floes

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Latvia's rescue service says it has rescued more than 220 people who became stranded on large ice floes in two separate places in the Gulf of Riga.

State Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman Viktorija Sembele says boats, ships and helicopters were mobilized in the rescue operation after large sections of ice broke away from the shore and floated into the gulf due to warm southerly winds.

Sembele said Friday that 180 people were rescued in the town of Vakarbulli near the capital Riga and a further 41 people were rescued in the resort town of Jurmala.

Rescue operations involving people stranded on ice floes occur regularly in the Baltic states, particularly with ice fishermen who often stray far from the shore.